<![CDATA[This study aims to describe students’ ability to identify main ideas and supporting ideas in argumentative texts. A descriptive quantitative approach was employed, involving 30 students as research participants. Data were collected through a test measuring students’ ability to identify ideas in argumentative texts across five indicators: main ideas at the beginning, middle, and end of paragraphs; mixed main ideas; and supporting ideas. The data were analyzed descriptively based on students’ scores and achievement percentages for each indicator. The results showed that the students’ overall achievement reached 72%. By indicator, the highest achievement was found in identifying mixed main ideas (79.05%), followed by main ideas at the beginning of paragraphs (72%), main ideas at the end of paragraphs (55%), and main ideas in the middle of paragraphs (52.22%). In contrast, the lowest achievement was found in identifying supporting ideas, at only 25%. These findings indicate that students were relatively capable of identifying main ideas, particularly when the textual structure provided clear cues, but experienced considerable difficulty identifying information that functioned to explain or support the main ideas. Therefore, instruction in argumentative texts needs to place greater emphasis on students’ ability to understand the relationship between main ideas and supporting ideas, enabling them not only to identify the central idea but also to understand how that idea is developed and reinforced through supporting information.]]>
